WATFORD doubled their advantage at the top of the Championship following a drab goalless draw at Stoke City this afternoon.

Aidy Boothroyd felt the match against the fifth-place Potters was going to be a tough examination of his side's promotion credentials and he had Richard Lee to thank for preserving a point.

The keeper denied Ricardo Fuller on three occasions, the pick of which saw him hurl himself at the feet of the Jamaican who had got clear of Jay DeMerit with three minutes remaining. His heroics meant Watford kept their first clean sheet in eight matches.

At the other end, Watford created very few chances and there was no trace of the exhilarating attacking play that had carved Colchester apart in midweek. The best chances inevitably fell to Marlon King while Matt Jackson, making his first for the club, had a goal chalked off in the first half.

Both these teams managed to find the net three times in midweek but the first 45 minutes at the Britannia Stadium failed to yield a goal in a half of very few chances.

Stoke relied almost exclusively on the long throw of Rory Delap but despite the absence of the muscular duo of Dan Shittu and Darius Henderson, Watford coped manfully with the threat the home side posed from set pieces. The Hornets did suffer a scare on six minutes, though, when Ricardo Fuller got in behind Jordan Stewart down the left flank but his dangerous centre was hacked away by Lloyd Doyley.

Watford struggled to play with the same fluency they did at Colchester and Tommy Smith, the hero of Tuesday night's win, was very much on the periphery of things in the first half.

On the other flank, Jobi McAnuff had a mixed first half, showing some neat touches but the former Palace winger was lucky not to concede a penalty on 27 minutes when he appeared to push over Liam Lawrence in the box.

However the referee waved away Stoke's appeals and also upheld the linesman's decision to rule out a header from Matt Jackson at the other end of the field for offside, deeming Lee Williamson was offside from the short corner.

A disjointed game was crying out for the class of Marlon King and the Hornets' leading marksman almost came to the rescue, twice going close in the space of 60 seconds. King looked poised to net his 11th of the season when a cross from Stewart dropped over the head of Dickinson, but he screwed his shot wide of the far post and out for a throw. Undeterred, King threatened again seconds later, unleashing a snapshot that deflected behind for a corner.

Jay DeMerit was the pick of Watford's players in the first half, producing a commanding display at the heart of the defence but it was his rash challenge that almost saw Stoke take the lead on 53 minutes. Mamady Sidibe evaded the sliding challenge of the American down the right and cut the ball back for Fuller, his striker partner. Fuller struck the ball first time and he must have thought he scored but the ball rebounded off the foot of Lee and away to safety.

Watford counter-attacked immediately and McAnuff came within a whisker of registering his first goal for the club, sending a rising left-footed strike that just went over the angle of post and crossbar.

McAnuff turned architect on the hour mark, sending over a cross that eventually found its way to Smith. His first effort was deflected but he was given a second bite of the cherry and only a slight deflection prevented him from finding the bottom corner.

In search of a breakthrough and some inspiration, Boothroyd threw on Nathan Ellington with 12 minutes remaining but it was Stoke who looked the side more likely to break the deadlock. Richard Cresswell cut in front from the left-foot but saw his piledriver beaten away by Lee.

Lee was called into action again soon after, forced to come sprinting off his line to dive at the feet of Fuller who had left Jackson for dead. Fuller lifted the ball over Lee but DeMerit was on hand to clear the danger.

Lee, however, saved his best until last, making himself big and flinging himself at the onrushing Fuller to deny the striker in what was the best chance of an otherwise turgid mach.

Stoke: Simonsen; Wright, Zakuani, Cort, Dickinson; Lawrence, Delap, Pugh; Cresswell, Fuller, Sidibe.

Subs: Parkin for Sidibe, 74. Buxton for Wright, 90. Hoult, Pericard and Pulis not used.

Watford: Lee; Doyley, DeMerit, Jackson, Stewart; Smith, O'Toole, Williamson, McAnuff; King, Priskin.

Subs: Ellington for Smith, 78. Francis for Priskin 88; Mariappa, Ainsworth, Loach.

Booked: Delap, Cresswell, Doyley, Williamson.

Att: 15,516